Jan. 31, 2011

Boca Raton, FL - For the second straight week, a men's tennis player and women's swimmer have been selected to receive the Florida Atlantic University Student-Athlete of the Week Award. Marc Abdelnour has captured the honor for the third time this season, while Eszter Bucz once again reigned supreme in women's athletics.

With victories in singles and doubles, Abdelnour played a key role in the Owls' 7-0 defeat over Jacksonville on Sunday - a victory that improved the team's record to 2-2 on the season. The senior from Aleppo, Syria secured the team victory with a three-set triumph at No. 1 singles, winning last two sets in decisive fashion 6-2 and 6-1. He also teamed with classmate Ervin Garibovic at No. 1 doubles to win 8-5 and help FAU pick up the lone doubles point of the match. Abdelnour, a regionally ranked singles player, stands 3-1 in spring dual matches and has compiled a 12-4 record overall.

Meanwhile, Bucz continued her strong winter season by winning four events and posting six top-five performances in two weekend meets. She captured the Owls' only event victory in Friday's dual meet against Florida Gulf Coast, rallying for a three-second win in the 500-yard freestyle (5:02.57). The sophomore from Budapest, Hungary also had a runner-up showing in the 200-yard individual medley (2:06.58) and was fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.97). On Saturday, Bucz won all three of her events in a triangular meet against Nova Southeastern and Florida International. She took top honors by seven seconds in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:32.53), captured the 500-yard freestyle by a five-second margin (5:08.84) and concluded the day by claiming the 400-yard individual medley (4:34.04).

Other nominees for this week's athletic department honor included Raymond Taylor, from the men's basketball team; Adam Corbin, from men's swimming; and Cassie Bergeson, from women's tennis.

This will be a busy week for FAU athletics, with seven teams in competition. The men's and women's basketball teams hit the road for a double-header on Thursday, February 3, against North Texas. Then, the men's team will again be featured on television on Saturday, February 5, when it hosts rival FIU from the FAU Arena, 777 Glades Road on the Boca Raton campus, starting at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Sun Belt Network as part of the CSS cable television package. On Sunday, the women's team will host the Golden Panthers in a televised game at 3 p.m.

The men's and women's swimming and diving teams will salute their senior classes during the regular-season finale meet on Saturday against Daytona Beach State College, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Also, indoor track heads to New York for the two-day New Balance Invitational, beginning on Friday, February 4; the women's tennis team travels to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday in search of its first win of the season before concluding the weekend on Sunday at Stetson; and the men's tennis team battles in-state rival USF on Sunday in Tampa.